Opinions about school (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
Opinions about school
When discussing your school in French, you need to express both positive and negative opinions clearly. This topic frequently appears in speaking and writing exams, so mastering the vocabulary and structures is essential for achieving higher grades.
This topic appears regularly in GCSE and A-level French exams, particularly in speaking assessments where you'll need to give balanced opinions about your educational experience.
Essential vocabulary for school opinions
Basic opinion words
Understanding these fundamental opinion words will help you express your views about school effectively:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| bon(ne) | good |
| mauvais(e) | bad |
| excellent(e) | excellent |
| juste | fair |
| causer | to cause |
| contre | against |
| porter | to wear |
| pour | for |
| règle (f) | rule |
| cesser | to stop |
Essential sentence structures:
- Mon collège est excellent pour les sciences. (My school is excellent for sciences.)
- Les règles sont très strictes ici. (The rules are very strict here.)
- Je suis pour l'uniforme scolaire. (I am in favour of school uniform.)
Action and management vocabulary
These verbs help you discuss school policies and management:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| mener | to lead |
| obliger | to require, force |
| permettre | to allow, permit |
| plaire | to please |
| s'exprimer | to express oneself |
| la journée scolaire | school day |
Key expressions in context:
- Les professeurs nous obligent à porter l'uniforme. (The teachers force us to wear uniform.)
- Cette école me plaît beaucoup. (I really like this school.)
Giving balanced views
In exam situations, you'll often need to present both advantages and disadvantages. These connecting phrases help structure your arguments effectively and demonstrate sophisticated language use.
Critical for exam success: Examiners specifically look for students who can present balanced arguments using sophisticated connecting words. This is often the difference between intermediate and advanced grades.
Contrast and exception words
| French | English |
|---|---|
| mais | but |
| même si | even if |
| par contre | on the other hand |
| cependant | however |
| pourtant | yet, nevertheless |
| sauf | except |
| au contraire | on the contrary |
Opinion strength indicators
These words help you express the degree of your opinions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un avantage | an advantage |
| un inconvénient | a disadvantage |
| le pire | the worst |
| le mieux | the best |
Balanced view examples:
- J'aime mon école, mais les bâtiments sont vieux. (I like my school, but the buildings are old.)
- Les professeurs sont sympas, cependant ils donnent trop de devoirs. (The teachers are nice, however they give too much homework.)
- Le pire, c'est les examens en été. (The worst thing is the exams in summer.)
Reading comprehension example
Worked Example: Analysing Student Opinion
Here's a typical student opinion about their school:
"J'aime bien mon collège. Nous avons d'excellents équipements, mais par contre, les bâtiments sont vieux. Même si les profs sont travailleurs et sympa, il y a trop de devoirs. Je voudrais aller dans une autre école l'année prochaine."
Translation: "I quite like my school. We have excellent facilities, but on the other hand, the buildings are old. Even though the teachers are hardworking and nice, there's too much homework. I'd like to go to another school next year."
Analysis: Notice how the student uses connecting words (mais, par contre, même si) to create a balanced argument with both positive and negative points.
Practice questions
Translation Practice: English to French
Translate into English:
- Quels sont les avantages et les inconvénients de tonne école?
- Ce qui me plaît, c'est de rencontrer mes amis.
Answers:
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of your school?
- What pleases me is meeting my friends.
Translate into French:
- The teachers are hardworking and nice.
- The worst is when we have to do exams in summer.
Answers:
- Les profs sont travailleurs et sympa.
- Le pire, c'est quand on doit passer des examens en été.
Exam tips
Essential Exam Strategies:
Reading comprehension: When encountering texts about school opinions, pay careful attention to connecting words like mais, cependant, and par contre. These signal contrasting viewpoints and help you understand the writer's balanced perspective.
Speaking exam: You might face questions like "Quels sont les avantages et les inconvénients de tonne école?" Use the balanced view vocabulary to structure your response with both positive and negative points.
Writing tasks: Start with your overall opinion, then use connecting phrases to introduce contrasting points. This demonstrates sophisticated language use that examiners look for at higher grades.
Key Points to Remember:
- Master connecting words - they're essential for expressing balanced opinions and achieving higher grades
- Learn opinion vocabulary in pairs - positive and negative terms together (bon/mauvais, avantage/inconvénient)
- Practice with real examples - think about your own school experiences to make vocabulary memorable
- Use varied structures - don't just say j'aime/je n'aime pas; show sophisticated language with phrases like ce qui me plaît and le pire
- Balance your arguments - examiners reward students who can discuss both advantages and disadvantages thoughtfully